Retired federal appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig, a prominent conservative legal scholar appointed by President George H.W. Bush, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump, according to a recent CNN report. Luttig, who has served in key roles under two Republican administrations, voiced his concern that Trump’s candidacy poses an existential threat to American democracy.
This marks a significant moment for Luttig, as it will be the first time he has chosen to vote for a Democrat. His decision reflects a deep concern among some conservatives about the direction of the Republican Party and the future of democratic governance in the United States.
“In the presidential election of 2024 there is only one political party and one candidate for the presidency that can claim the mantle of defender and protector of America’s Democracy, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law,” Luttig wrote in a statement obtained exclusively by CNN. “As a result, I will unhesitatingly vote for the Democratic Party’s candidate for the Presidency of the United States, Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.”
Judge J. Michael Luttig, known for his influential role in convincing then-Vice President Mike Pence to stand firm and certify the 2020 presidential election results, has now taken a definitive stance against former President Donald Trump. At the request of Pence’s attorney, Luttig drafted a series of tweets that clearly articulated the legal reasoning for Pence to reject Trump’s efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. Since that pivotal moment, Luttig has become one of the leading constitutional critics of Trump.
In his recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, Luttig emphasizes that in this election, the usual partisan divides must be set aside to prevent the “singularly unfit” Trump from returning to the White House. Luttig’s endorsement underscores the importance he places on safeguarding democratic principles over party loyalty in this critical moment for the nation.
“In voting for Vice President Harris, I assume that her public policy views are vastly different from my own,” Luttig writes, “but I am indifferent in this election as to her policy views on any issues other than America’s Democracy, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law, as I believe all Americans should be.”
Luttig’s blistering rebuke of Trump and endorsement of Harris highlight the deep rift between Reagan- and Bush-era Republicans and today’s Trump-dominated GOP. The former judge doesn’t hold back in his criticism, condemning both Trump and the Republican Party for waging what he calls “the war on America’s democracy.”
Luttig warns that the damage inflicted will resonate for generations to come, leaving a lasting stain on the nation’s democratic foundations.
“Because of the former president’s continued, knowingly false claims that he won the 2020 election, millions of Americans no longer have faith and confidence in our national elections, and many never will again,” Luttig writes. “Many Americans – especially young Americans, tragically – have even begun to question whether constitutional democracy is the best form of self-government for America.”
